Police chief seeks $17,920 JAG funds to buy ballistic shields after past ambush incidents

The Lake Wales Police Department told the commission it expects to receive $17,920 through a state-administered Edward Burr Memorial/JAG program and plans to use the funds to purchase 16 ballistic shields for field use. At the meeting the police chief said the department has used shields previously but that ballistic equipment has an expiration and must be periodically replaced or tested. He described past violent incidents, including ambush-style shootings in which officers were wounded and a K-9 that was shot and killed, as context for maintaining protective equipment. “You don't need them until you do,” the chief said, explaining the shields are a rapid-deploy protective tool for high-risk calls. Commissioners asked whether the shields are intended for crowd-control scenarios; the chief said they are not primarily for riots but for officer protection during high-risk incidents. The grant application and planned purchase were described as routine equipment replacement and readiness; no vote to accept funds was recorded during the meeting.